Capsule-filling machine



Aug. 21, 1923. 1,465,518

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OMRI L. HENDRICKS, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN.

CAPSULE-FILLING MACHINE.

Application filed December 13, 1921.

To all 'wh-0m t may concern Be it known that I, OMRI L. HENDRICKS, citizen of the United States, residing at Flint, in the county of Genesee and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Capsule-Filling Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a capsule filling machine and the primary object of the invention is the provision of a machine whereby a large number of capsules may be simultaneously filled and capped in a compa-ratively short time.

One of the objects of the invention is the construction of a capsule filling machine wherein a plurality of capsules may be fed to a hopper and filled and packed, including means for packing the capsules before the same are released and deposited in a suitable drawer.

Another and very important object of the invention resides in the construction of a capsule filling machine wherein a transfer plate is adapted to receive a plurality of rows of various sized capsules, transfer the same to a hopper where the capsules may be filled, and subsequently moving the lled capsules to a position whereby the same may be capped by a capping mechanism cooperating with said transfer plate.

A continued and further object of the invention is the provision of a transfer plate and a cap receiving plate cooperatively arranged so that when the transfer plate is moved to a position beneath the cap receiving plate, the bodies and caps may be separated previously to the filling of the capsule bodies whereby the same may be again moved to a position beneath the cap receiving plate and'all of the capsule bodies simultaneously capped and released.

Another object of the invention resides in the construction of a novel and improved hopper and packing frame therefor whereby when the capsule bodies are moved to a position beneath the said hopper the material may flow and be packed in the capsule bodies, whereupon the transfer plate may be moved to its capping position and the capsules subsequently released.

These objects and others which will be manifest and suggested as the purpose and Serial No. 522,044.

nature of my invention are revealedin the following specification and accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation.

Figure 2 is a view in elevation taken on the opposite side of the apparatus.

Figure 3 is a plan.

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. i.

Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 5- 5 of Fig. 1.

Figure 6 is an end elevation loo-king toward the filling magazine.

Figure 7 is a bottom plan of the magazine taken substantially on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal section through the entire apparatus.

Figure 9 is a vertical line 9 9 of Figure 1.

Figure 10 is av vertical section taken on the line 10-10 of Figure 2.

Figure 11 is a sectional View taken on the line 11-11 of Fig. 10.

Figure 12 is a plan of the hopper, omitting the handle and operating mechanism.

Figure 13 is a section taken on the line 155-13 of Fig. 12.

Figure 14 is a further section taken on the line 141-14 of Fig. 12.

Figure 15 is a detail sectional view of the transferring mechanism in its relation with the magazine.

Figure 16 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 16-16 of Figure 15.

Figure 17 is an enlarged, detail section illustrating the mechanism for transferring the capsule tops from the transferring plate to the stationary carrier.

Figure 18 is a. sectional view taken on the line 18-18 of Figure 17.

Figure 19 is a. fragmentary through the hop-per and Figure 2O is a. bottom plan of the transferring plate.

Figure 21 is a top plan with one of the clamping plates removed.

Figures 22 and 23 are detail views of one of the clamping elements.

Figure 24 is a bottom plan of the transferring late with one of the clamping plates remover.

Figure 25 is a` detail of a wedge operable in the transferring plate.

section taken on the section Figure 26 is a sectional view taken on the line 26-26 of Fig. 24.

Figure 27 is a further section taken on the line 27-27 of Fig. 24.

Figure 28 is a fragmentary bottom view of the transfer plate showing the clamping mechanism in open position.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, it will be observed that the capsule filling device herein to be described, primarily consists of a material feeding hopper positioned at one end, a central stationary cap receiving plate adjacent to the hopper, a transferring plate, whereby the tops of the capsules may be transferred to the stationary plate and the bottoms of the capsules disposed beneath the hopper to receive the material therein and finally a capsule magazine or container, whereby the capsules may be automatically fed to the transferring plate previous to the successive operations resulting in the capsules being filled and dropped into the tray or receiver in the bottom of the casing.

The hopper and? its operating mechanism.

The supporting frame for the device is open at each end thereof and comprises the sides 5, 6, the rear portions of which are formed with raised extensions 7, 8, for mounting the hopper mechanism, designated in its entirety by numeral 9.

Referring in particular to Figures 1, 10 and 11, it will be seen that the raised ends of the frame are provided on their inner and outer sides with parallel guide strips 10, 11, secured by screws 12 or other fastening elements, the outer guides being adapted to receive the substantially triangular, depending guide bars 13, 14, preferably formed integral with a cross-head 15, which is in turn secured by screws 16 to the laterally extending top portions 17 of the packer frame. A curved bar 19 is provided centrally thereof with a knob or handle 20, whereby said packer frame may be depressed against the resistance of the springs 21 on the bolts 22, which as shown particularly in Figure 10 are secured to the top edges 23 of the stationary hopper 24.

The ends of the stationary hopper are further provided wit-h outward extensions 25, 26, fixedly held between the inner guide strips 10"-, 11, it being further observed that the packing frame is supported on the springs 27, 28 of the bolts 29, 30, which eX- tend upwardly from the sides 5 and 6 of the frame and through top portion 17 of the packer frame. W'hile the spring 21 controls the operation of the packer frame, it will be readily observed that the hopper and its packer frame, being resiliently held on the springs 27, 28 may be adjusted by the nuts 31 on the upper ends of the bolts 29, 30, above referred to.

The hopper itself comprises a plurality of equally spaced compartments 35, with each triangular partition 36a extending from the ends thereof, whereby the material may fall through the apertures 36 in the bottom 37 of the hopper. The packer frame above referred to comprises a plurality of transversely extending bars 38 preferably formed integral with the ends 39 and top port-ions 17, it being further noted that each horizontal bar 38 is provided with a plurality of pack- A ers in the form of studs 4() which are in alinement with the aperture 36 in the bottom 37 of said hopper.

A cutoff plate 41, provided with parallel rows of apertures 42 is disposed over the apertured bottom 37 of the hopper, which is of course, also provided with parallel rows of the openings 36, so that when the respective apertures 36, 42 are in alinement, the material in the respective compartments may fall therethrough into the capsules in the manner subsequently to be referred to. The reduced ends of the cutoff plate 41 have attached thereto the bent strips 43, 44, each provided with an attaching ear 45 to which a link 46 is connected and passes through the space 47 between the extensions 7, 8, of the sides of the frame. The outer ends of the links 46 are pivotally connected as at 48 to operating levers, one of said links being connected to a cam lever 49 pivoted as at 50 to an attaching ear on the extension 8 and the opposite link 46 is connected to a lever 51 having a hooked end 52 which acts as a stop for a. bevelled lug 53. The lug is secured by a fastening element or screw 15 to the top portion 17 of the packing frame, said screw also connecting the bar 15 thereto. The opposite lever 49 is adapted to be engaged by a cam 55 also retained and held by the screw 16 so that when pressure is exerted on the bar 19 the cam 55 will engage the lever 49 thus moving the cutol plate 41 so that the apertures 36 and 42 will register and permit the power, for instance, to be dropped into the capsules and at the same time the plungers or studs 40 will pass through the alined apertures and pack the powder. Upon releasing the bar 19 the element 53 will engage the hooked end 52 and consequently rock the lever 51 inwardly and as the cutofr1 plate 41 returns to its normal position, the cam 55 rises out of engagement with the lever 49. In this manner it will be seen that a combined operation of thel cut-- off plate and the packer frame takes place when the bar 19 is depressed against the resistance of the springs above referred to. While I have shown parallel rows of apen tures and a cutoff plate conforming thereto, it will be readily seen that the hopper might be constructed in another manner and with a greater or less number of apertures depending on the size and quantity of production desired.

apsuZe transferring plate and operati-ng mechanism.

Referring now t0 Figures 5, 20 and 24 appearing on Sheets 5, 14 and 15, the capsule transferring mechanism comprises a substantially rectangular plate, designated in its entirety b-y numeral56, which is provided on its top face with the openings 57, the edges of the plate adjacent the openings having semi-circular recesses as shown at 58. Each of said openings 57 is adapted to receive a pair of reversely positioned, tapered plates 59, said plates each having complementary, semi-circular recesses 60 on its outer edge for cooperation with the semi-circular recesses 58. Between each pair of members 59, a wedge 61 is adapted to engage the inner edges of the tapered plates 59 so that as the wedges are moved inwardly or outwardly the circular openings formed by the complementary, semi-circular recesses 58, 60, will be correspondingly increased or decreased to permit the capsules to be clamped and held on the transferring plate previous to moving the same beneath th-e hopper.

Each wedge 61 is provided with a pair of spring elements 62, 63, connected to the tapered members 59 and at one end of the respective wedges 61 the same are connected by links 64, 65 through an operating lever 66 which isshown pivoted as at 67 to the bottom of a plate 68, said plate preventing the capsules from falling through the apertures. The lever 66 extends forwardly and outwardly of the casing and since the same is pivoted as at 67, the reversely positioned, tapered elements 59 and the correspondingly. reversely positioned wedges 61 will be moved in opposite directions as the lever 66 is actuated to the left or right to open or close the capsule receiving openings. The transfer plate is also provided with apertures 67a to receive the studs 68a so that when the transfer plate is moved to its extreme rearward position and the hopper depressed, the material will fall directly into the capsules.

Secured to the underside portion of the transfer' plate is a capsule retaining plate 68 which supports a horizontally extending shaft 70 to which a yoke shaped member 71 is connected intermediate of said shaft and its respective ends. A curved link 72, pivoted as at 73 to the yoke shaped member is connected at its outer end as at 74 to the curved` outwardly extending operating lever 75, which is shown pivoted and journalled as at 76, whereby the entire transfer plate may be actuated and moved to the various dotted line positions as indicated on Figure 5 of the drawings. The transfer plate in this particular machine performs the double function of receiving the capsule bodies and caps and after the caps are removed and the bodies filled, the said transfer plate is again removed to a position whereby the bodies may be capped. In its initial position, the transfer plate receives a plurality of capsules and then transfers the same beneath a cap receiving plate whereby the caps are removed and held suspended. The bottoms or bodies of the cap.- sules are then moved to a position beneath the hopper and locked so that when the packer frame and cut oil' slide are actuated the capsule bodies may be filled. The filled capsule bodies on the transfer plate are then returned beneath the cap receiving plate whereupon the caps are placed on the bodies as the cap receiving plate is depressed. The capped bodies are then dropped into a tray or receiver 77 (Figure 8), operable in suitable guides 78, attached to the inner sides of the frame.

Ua-psnle Gasp` receiving plate and operating mechanism.

Referring again to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, it will be observed that an intermediate, stationary cap receiving mechanism is provided adapted to receive the capsule caps or tops from the transferring plate, previous to the filling of the bodies or bottoms of said capsules. The sides 5, 6, of the frame are therefore provided with guide strips 80,81, disposed in parallel relation and secured by suitatble screws or other fastening elements to receive the guide bars 82, 83, which pass through the top of the 1ongitudinal bars 84. 85, also secured to the respective sides 5, 6, the said bars 82, 83 being attached to the under side of the cap receiving plate 86 and also provided with coiled springs 87, whereby said plate is normally held in its elevated position to permit of the operation of the transferring plate heretofore referred to.

The bars 84, 85 are also provided with central recesses 88 to receive an intermediate coiled spring and bolt 89, 90, and disposed on said plate 86 are positioned the guide ears 90, 91, in which a rock shaft 92 is journalled and operable by the arm 93 disposed to one side thereof. A pair of cams 94, 95 on the said shaft 92, each bear against a bearing plate 96 so that when the said shaft and its cams are rotated,the plate 86 may be depressed against the resistance of the springs and held in said depressed position until the caps of the capsules may be removed from the transfer plate. In

this instance, it will be seen, that the plate 86 is similar in construction to the transfer plate in providing the transverse openings 97, 98 in which are positioned the tapered, movable complementary members 99, 100 as well as the reversely positioned wedges 101,

102 and the spring elements 103, 104. The outer ends of said wedges are secured by links 106 to the bent lever 107, so that when said lever is actuated the wedges will be moved in opposite directions and consequently open and close the capsule receiving openings, which of course, are in parallelism to correspond with the same arrangement as in the transfer plate, as clearly disclosed. The longitudinal bars 109, 110, preferably riveted on the top of the plate 86, retain the wedges and the sliding members in their proper position, it being further noted that the plate 86 is provided with studs 111, which may pass through the corresponding recesses in the corners of the transferring plate when the rock shaft 92 and its cams depress the plate 86 onto the transferring plate.

At this point it should be noted that when the transfer plate is moved to a positionto meet the capsule top receiving plate 86, in order to retain the transfer plate in its proper position, I have provided a locking arrangement which comprises a rock shaft 112 journalled in suitable bearings 113, 114 on the side 5 and provided with a bent operating handle 115, extending upwardly in proximity to the handle 93, above referred to. Formed preferably integral, with the shaft 112 are a pair of arms 116, 117, to which locking pins 118 are connected and pass through apertures in the plate 84 and the side 5, and are normally held b y the spring element 119, bearing against a connecting bar 120, attached to the respective arms 116, 117 Figure 4. Accordingly when the transfer plate is moved to a position beneath the plate 86, preliminary to the transfer of the caps to one plate from the other, when the top plate 86 is depressed, in order to hold the transfer plate in its proper position, the shaft 112 is actuated and thrown inwardly so that the locking pin 118 may pass through the flanged portion 122 of the transfer plate (Figure 18) and hold the same in locked position. Of course, before the transfer plate may be again removed, the shaft 112 must be thrown outwardly to disengage the pins 118, after the rock shaft 92 is moved to release the pins 111 from the said transfer plate (Figures 17 and 18).

Accordingly, when the transfer plate is moved beneath the plate 86 and locked in proper position, the apertures will be in vertical alignment. The shaft 92 is then actuated so that the plate 86 is depressed, permitting the capsule caps to enter the apertures thereof. As clearly shown by Figure 17, the caps will enter the apertures in the top plate and as the lever 107 is actuated forcing the wedges 101, 102 inward and otherwise contracting lor making the apertures smaller, the tops of the capsules will be gripped by the slidable members 99, 100 and as the rock shaft 92 is again actuated to release the cams, the plate 86 will rise upwardly and thus hold the tops of the caps, which of course, must be subsequently placed on the bottoms of the capsules after the material has been fed thereto and the capping operation completed.

Capsule magazine and operating mecham'sm therefor.

The vertical posts 125, 126, rising from the sides 5, 6, at the front portion thereof, are adapted to receive the tubular guides 127, 128 of the laterally extending portions 129, 130 of the magazine designated in its entirety by numeral 131. A bell-crank lever 132, pivote-d as at 133, and provided with a curved, upwardly extending arm 134, on the transversely extending rock shaft 135, is provided with the usual spring pressed pawl mechanism 136, whereby said lever may be released to raise. and lower the capsule magazine 131 to and from the transfer plate above referred to.

The magazine proper comprises a plurality of spaced, parallel rows of capsule receiving tubes 137, 138, 139 and 140, which correspond to the same number and arrangement of the capsule receiving openings in the transfer plate and the stationary plate 86. Each row of capsule tubes, above referred to, is provided with a shifting slide or finger bearing plate 141, 142. 143 and 144 respectively, with fingers 145, which pass through apertures in the respective tubes and near the bottom thereof for holding the capsules, so that when the shifting plates are released, the capsules may fall through the tubes and to the transfer plate, in the manner heretofore set forth. The respective ends of the shifting plates are provided with slots to receive the reduced ends 146 of the short levers 147, the saine being connected to a spring controlled finger actuated bell crank member 148, normally held by the spring 148a in its raised position, so that when the finger pressed member is depressed, the lever 147 will actuate the shifting plate and consequently move the fingers from the capsule tubes and permit the capsule to fall therethrough, as heretofore explained. In other words by successively depressing the members 148 against the resistance of the spring connected thereto, when the magazine is in its lowered position and ready to permit the capsules to ybe transferred to the transfer plate, by simply actuating each of the shifting plates of the capsule tubes, the capsules may be dropped previous to shifting or transferring the same to the cap receiving plate 86 above referred to. Of course, the spring pressed members 148 on leach side of the magazine are connected by the transverse shaft 150, which permits of the operation of the shifting plates 141, 142, 143 and 144, from either side of the maga- 2111.

The magazine is designed and constructed to cooperate with the shifting plate to successively feed the capsules which are to be transferred t0 the plate 86 and subsequently to a position beneath the hopper whereby the capsule will be filled, capped and dropped to the tray or drawer according to the following operation.

In its initial position the transfer plate is held in the front portion of the frame, as shown particularly at Fig. 5, so as to be disposed below the magazine 131, which as shown in Figure 1 is in its raised or elevated position. Now the first operation, assuming the magazine to be loaded, is to throw the lever 132 forwardly so that the curved arm 134 will permit the magazine to drop on the transfer plate 56. Since the capsule receiving tubes will be in alinement and will register with the openings or recesses formed in the transfer plate 56, assuming that the wedges are moved to their extreme end positions and said openings being of a maximum size, by successively depressing the finger elements 148 the shifting plate 141 will be moved outwardly and the fingers 145 will permit the capsules to fall to the transferring plate. A lever 132 is then actuated to raise the magazine 131 preliminary to the shifting1 or rearward movement of the shifting plate. The lever 66, when actuated, of course, moves the wedges of the transfer plate and securely grips the bodies of the capsules held thereby. Now the second movement is to operate the laterally extending shift lever 75, so that the transfer late may be moved to a position directly elow the plate 86, whereupon the rock shaft 112 is thrown inwardly so that the locking pins 118 will maintain said transfer plate in its proper position. The caps of the capsule bodies must then be removed to the cap receiving plate previous to the filling operation. Accordingly as the lever 93 is rotated the cams 94, 95 will depress the plate 86 against the resistance of the springs and hold the same as shown by "Figures 17 and 18, whereupon the wedge shifting lever 107 will grip the tops of the caps. The lever 93 is again actuated so as to release the cams and due to the springs the plate 86 will fly upward and in this position will hold the caps until the same are ready to be placed on the portion of the capsules containing the powder. After the transfer plate is unlocked the lever 75 is further actuated to move said transfer plate to the extreme end position, as sho-wn in dotted lines by Figure 5, so that the said plate will be disposed beneath the hopper, which receives the usual powder or material to be placed in the capsules. The shaft 112 is again thrown inwardly so as to lock the transfer plate in position beneath the hopper, it being observed that the arm 116 also carries a locking pin 118. At this stage the bar 19 is depressed so that the cam 55 will engage the cam lever 49, thereby moving the cutoff plate 41 simultaneous with the packer frame, whereby the studs 40 will pack the powder in the bottom of the capsule, as shown by Fig. 19 of the drawing. As the bar 19 is released, the same will fiy upwardly, due to the springs, and consequently the member 53 will actuate the fixed end 52 of the lever 51 to throw the cutoff plate to its initial position. The shaft 112 is then thrown outwardly so that the locking pin will permit the transfer plate to be shifted back to a position beneath the caps held by the plate 86. Accordingly when said transfer plate is moved to the position just referred to and locked, the lever 93 is again actuated, bringing the caps down over the bottoms which contain the powder and the wedge shifting lever 107 is moved to release the caps and consequently the plate 86 may be permitted to slide back t0 its initial position. By simply actuating the lever 66 at this stage of the operation, the caps may fall through the openings in the transfer plate and fall into the tray 77. The operation is of course repeated, thus the filling of a large number of caps may be effected in a comparatively short time with but very little trouble or skill.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated my invention embodied in one form by way of example, and which in practice has been found to be highly satisfactory in obtaining the desired results. It will be obvious however, that other embodiments may be adopted, and that various changes in the details of construction may be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from kthe spirit and scope of the invention. It is furthermore understood that the invention is not necessarily limited or restricted to the precise elements shown except in so far as such limitations are specified in the subject matter being claimed.

Having thus described and shown my invention, what I now claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a capsule filling machine, a horizontally disposed guide-way, a capsule hopper disposed above the guide-way at one end thereof, a capsule transfer pla-te slidably mounted upon the guide-way beneath the hopper and means located above the guideway in spaced relation to the capsule hopper for permitting the simultaneous filling of a plurality of capsules carried by said transfer plate.

2. In a capsule filling machine, the combination with a horizontally disposed track 

